Distracted pilot seriously injured in crash

The pilot stated that, before takeoff, he waited with the engine running for about 10 minutes while other traffic departed. While waiting, he unlatched the canopy to allow air into the cockpit, however, he failed to re-secure the canopy before takeoff.

Just after the RV-6A lifted off the runway at the airport, the canopy tilted up, and, while attempting to close it, the pilot said he “got distracted and neglected to fly the airplane.”

The airplane experienced an aerodynamic stall and hit terrain near in Pekin, Illinois. The pilot was seriously injured in the crash.

Hereported there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to latch the canopy before takeoff, and his subsequent distraction and failure to maintain control while attempting to close the open canopy, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.